Three Congress members criticize conditions at Adelanto ICE facility, while federal officials claim their assessment is misguided.

Three members of Congress representing California have expressed grave concerns regarding conditions at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center following recent visits where they encountered individuals participating in an ongoing hunger strike. The strike aims to protest what they describe as inhumane living conditions.

During a press conference held on June 1, Representative Judy Chu (D-Pasadena) reflected on her long-standing visits to the facility since 2014, noting a troubling stagnation in conditions. She remarked that what was once merely bad has become progressively worse, drawing attention to reports from detainees about inadequate food quality and lack of medical care.

One detainee shared a petition signed by approximately 150 individuals that outlines several grievances, including allegations of substandard food that some claim is unfit even for animals. Complaints included servings of uncooked chicken, old eggs, and limited access to essential medical care. As tensions escalated, reports emerged that several detainees faced threats of solitary confinement for their participation in the hunger strike.

Currently, around 1,700 men are held at the Adelanto facility, according to federal officials, who claim these individuals are in the country illegally. Representative Chu highlighted poor water quality, indicating that water often runs out and takes hours to replenish. She also raised alarm over insufficient medical attention, recounting her encounter with a detainee whose cyst had reportedly gone untreated for seven months.

The GEO Group, the private contractor operating the facility, denied the allegations in a statement, asserting that they are part of a politically motivated campaign against immigration enforcement. The company emphasized its commitment to supporting the law enforcement mission of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over its four-decade history.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responded to the criticisms by categorically denying the existence of a hunger strike and asserting that detainees continue to receive adequate meals and medical care. DHS officials claimed that their facilities maintain higher standards than many U.S. prisons housing citizens.

The hunger strike, which began on May 15 with over 40 participants, has since expanded, with additional detainees joining from a neighboring facility. Activists have called for comprehensive medical care, improved food quality, and greater accountability for deaths in custody. Representative Pete Aguilar (D-San Bernardino) condemned the conditions inside Adelanto as intentional and criticized the treatment of detainees awaiting legal proceedings.

As public scrutiny grows, supporters of the detainees have organized protests, holding up posters bearing the names and faces of individuals believed to have died since last September in the facility. Representative Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles) expressed outrage that any deaths should occur in detention and called attention to the alarming toll these conditions may take on human life.

As discussions surrounding immigration continue to be contentious in the U.S., the plight of the detainees at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center raises significant questions about the treatment of individuals in custody and the standards upheld in private detention facilities.